Winds from rotating, magnetic, hot stars. I - General model results

Abstract

It is generally thought that the winds of hot stars are driven by the force arising from the absorption and scattering of photospheric continuum radiation by ultraviolet resonance lines of abundant ions in the flow. However, puzzling discrepancies were found in a comparison of observational data with the predictions of theoretical models for line-driven mass loss. It is pointed out that part of the apparent disagreement between theory and observation might result from the existence of additional, nonradiative forces which contribute to the acceleration of hot star winds, but which are omitted from the model considered by Castor et al. (1975). The present investigation takes, therefore, into account the dynamics of winds which are predominantly radiation driven, but which are also acted upon by the forces due to rapid rotation in the presence of a stellar magnetic field.